# Single-leg exercises for runners: strength and balance > Updated: 2026-05-28 · Source: https://dorsi.ai/topics/single-leg-exercises-for-runners Most runners log miles but skip the strength work that keeps them healthy. Single-leg exercises are the missing piece. They expose asymmetries a standard… Most runners carry a strength asymmetry: one leg is subtly weaker, and over thousands of strides it pulls form apart. Single-leg exercises fix that. I train runners who add Bulgarian split squats and single-leg RDLs and see their gait clean up within weeks. The rest of this page covers which variations to prioritize and how many reps actually translate to faster, injury-free running. Most runners log miles but skip the strength work that keeps them healthy. Single-leg exercises are the missing piece. They expose asymmetries a standard squat won't, and those asymmetries cost you. Weakness in the gluteus medius, for example, increases your risk of patellofemoral pain by 3.6 times. That's not a small number. Incorporating lunges, step-ups, and single-leg deadlifts into a weekly routine can improve running economy by up to 4% in just eight weeks. Dorsi can build these into your training without you having to think about it. That's the point. The guide below covers which single-leg exercises matter most for runners, how often to do them, and what the research actually says. ## Start with bodyweight step-downs from a 6-inch box Runners ignore the eccentric phase until their quads blow up on a downhill. Step-downs force your glute and quad to lower you under control. That's exactly what happens at mile 22 of a marathon. Do 3x8 per side, slow, 3 seconds down. You'll feel it. ## When should you add load to single leg work? Not until you can hold 15 single-leg squats per side without wobbling. The wobble steals tension from the working muscle. Once stable, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell, 20 pounds is plenty. Your goal is strength, not circus balance. ## Pair lunges with a 30-second single-leg deadlift hold Single leg work exposes asymmetries. If your right leg squats 20% more than your left, your pelvis rotates during strides and the IT band screams. After each lunge set, do a single-leg deadlift hold on the weaker side. CNS recalibration happens in weeks. ## Do single leg strength after easy runs, not intervals These exercises need fresh neural drive. Slap them before track work and your stabilizers fatigue, ruining pacing. A runner I coach moved lunges to Friday easy-run days and his interval times jumped. Schedule smart.